SydneyChelsea
A Touchable
- Messages
- 6,638
- Reaction score
- 4,817
I think we're arguing different parts of the same point. All those issues you describe, I see a consequence of the specialisation/filter system that youth football around the world is obsessed with. If you're good technically you get pushed into being an attacking midfielder. If you can pick a pass, you get told to be a centre-back, never mind your defensive skills. No one specialises in wingers, so no one gets taught to cross, shoot or beat defenders. It's expected you just learn these things yourself. They aren't necessary for modern football because even your U-15 coach thinks he's Guardiola.
Strikers get picked for senior football based on their tactical ability, not how many goals they score. Francesco Camarda has scored nearly 500 goals at youth levels for Milan, debuted at 15 and yet got criticised because he doesn't play as as a gegenpressing-tiki-false-9-playmaker-quartista. He's still 17. This is at a club who won trophies off the back of Filippo Inzaghi, FFS!
All this focus on rearing attacking midfielders has led to a bizarro-world where England has more viable #10s to choose from than Brazil but has no viable striker or goalkeeper past this World Cup.
As an Australian, gladly
Firstly, that reflects on England, not the game globally. 20 years ago subcontinental teams were appalling at fielding, and now India and Sri Lanka have consciously improved to be among the best. T20 values good fielding and the general standard of fielding is much better than it was in the past.
As for your bowlers, it's impossible to judge international standard so long as your bowlers are reared on seaming pitches with the Duke ball. No need to learn how to hit the top of off-stump when you can just pitch it wide and have it jag back in a metre. The bowling standards have improved worldwide and even as an Australia, your current crop of pacemen, while made of glass, is much, much better than the dross England brought to these shores over the years.
